Hammer control mechanism for record marking machine



J1me 1965 s. H. SCHACHT 3,188,946

HAMMER CONTROL MECHANISM FOR RECORD MARKING MACHINE Filed Dec. 31. 19625 Sheets$heet 1 INVENTOR. GUNTER H. SCHDCHT AGENT June 15, 1965 G. H.SCHACHT HAMMER CONTROL MECHANISM 'FOR RECORD MARKING MACHINE Filed Dec.31, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 15, 1965 G. H. SCHACHT' HAMMER CONTROLMECHANISM FOR RECORD MARKING MACHINE Filed Dec. 31, 1962 FIG. 4

ECCENTRIC AT PT. H

UP & DOWN DISPLACEMENT 0F WEDGE RIGHT & LEFT DISPLACEMENT 0F RESTOREBAIL VOLTAGE T0 MAGNET 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 3,188,946 HAMMER CONTROLMECHANISM FOR RECGRD MARKING MACHINE Gunter Heinz Schacht, Boblingen,Germany, assignor to International Business Machines Corporation, NewYork, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Dec. 31, 1962, Ser. No.248,540 6 Claims. ((31. 101-93) This invention relates to a machine forapplying a code marking to a record, and, more particularly, to controlmechanism for a printing apparatus of the type wherein the markingoperation occurs during a relative motion between the marking member andthe record.

In a record marking machine such as a drum printer, for example, themechanical operations are the limiting factors on the overall speed ofoperation. Since a decision must be made well in advance of themechanical operation that the mechanical operation is to occur, it isadvantageous to decide as late as possible within an operative cyclewhat mechanical operation is to occur and, once the decision is made, toprovide means that are substantially instantly actuable to start themechanical operation. For example, in a printing machine wherein thealternate quadrants of the type carrier have alphabetic and numericdata, it is desirable as the end of each quadrant of the type carrierpasses the print station to decide whether the print line is completeand, if so, to start another print cycle by restoring the print hammers.To accomplish this purpose, it is necessary to have a device that isselectively actuable and also one that is substantially instantlyactuable once a decision is made to start a new print cycle.

- Prior art devices use cams or cyclic arms which are not easilyselectively actuable and which generally perform their cycles whether ornot the restore cycles are actually needed. Other prior art devices usea spring urged restore mechanism which exerts no control over thevelocities of the members thereby resulting in high impact loading ofthe mechanical components.

An object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide an improvedhigh-speed record marking machine.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improvedrestore mechanism for a high-speed record marking machine.

' A further object of the present invention is to provide a restoremechanism for a high-speed record marking machine which is selectivelycontrollable by a low energy electric pulse.

A still further object of the present invention is to pro vide a restoremechanism which operates at high speed with minimum acceleration ofmechanical parts.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a restoremechanism for a high-speed record marking machine capable of selectivelyactuating heavy and variable loading at high speed by means of a lowenergy electric pulse.

According to the invention the improved restore mechanism for a markingmachine comprises control means ineffective for restoring a markingmember when the elements of the control means are in contact with a cammeans. When a holding means, such as an electromagnet, is renderedeffective, one of the control elements is held in a position effectivelydisengaged from the rotating cam means in a motion transferring positionso that, as the cam means rotates, the cam means will act through a camfollowing control element to move the marking member to a restoredposition.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of theinventionwill be apparent from the following more particular descriptionof preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in theaccompanying drawings.

* United States Patent FIGURE 1 is a side view partially in crosssection of a record marking machine embodying the invention, showing therestore mechanism in its selective position.

FIGURE 2 is a side view partially in cross section of a record markingmachine embodying the invention, showing the restore mechanism in theoperative position.

FIGURE 3 is a side view partially in cross section of a record markingmachine embodying the invention, showing the restore mechanism in theineffective position.

FIGURE 4 is a diagrammatic timing diagram showing the relative times atwhich various components may be actuated.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the improved record marking machine illustratedtherein comprises briefly means designated generally 10 for actuating amovable member 12 to a restored position adjacent print magnet 14wherein the movable member may be held and subsequently released toprint on record 16 by forcing the record 16 and ribbon 18 into theselected type carrier 20. The control means is selectively actuated byholding means 22 in con junction with cam means 24. The operation ofholding means 22 causes the control element 26 to be held in a positionshown in FIGURE 1 so that, upon further rotation of the cam, the controlelement 26 is held from the cam following position and causes a wedgemember 33 to be interposed between control elements 28 and 30 therebytransmitting motion of the cam to the movable member achieving a fullyrestored condition when the high point of cam 24 is adjacent member 28.

In the embodiment shown, cam means 24 is mounted on shaft 2 5 which iscontinuously rotated (by means not shown). The actuating means 10comprises control elements 26, 28 and actuating member 30. Controlelement 26 is an L-shaped member mounted for pivotable movement aboutshaft 32. The element 26 is biased toward a cam following position byspring 34. On one end of element 26 is mounted a flexible support member36 which is coupled to a wedge-shaped member 38. Control element 28 ismounted for pivotable movement about shaft 40 and is biased toward a camengaging position by spring 42. Actuating element 30 is mounted forpivotable motion about shaft 40 and is biased to a position abuttingstop 44- by spring 4-6. One end 48 of element 30 is cut at an angle sothat it matches the angle of wedge member 38 when fully inserted between28 and 30. The other end 50 of element 30 is mounted adjacent themarking member 12 and when the restore mechanism is actuated, themarking member 12 is moved from the position adjacent resilient stop 48to the position adjacent print magnet 14. The wedge member 38 is mountedfor slidable movement between control elements 28 and 30. When controlelement 26 is in the cam following position (FIGURE 3) and the cam highposition is at control element 28, the element 30 is not moved to therestore position since the amount that control element 28 is moved tothe right (FIGURE 3) is balanced by the amount that wedge member 33 ismoved downward (FIGURE 3). The net resultant movement on member 39 isinsuificient to restore member 12.

Cam member 24 may comprise any suitably shaped cam, but the mostdesirable shape is an eccentric, since this shape can be easily andcheaply machined. As shown in FIGURE 4, the rotation of cam 24 producesessentially a harmonic motion in member 28 and in wedge member 38. Oncein each rotation of cam 24 a decision may be made as to whether themarking member 12 should be restored during the coming cycle of thecontrol means. This time occurs when the control means and the camassumes the position shown in FIGURE 1 degree position of FIG. 4)wherein the top arm 52 of element 26 is adjacent :the armature 54 ofholding means 22. At this time a low current pulse may be applied towinding 56 of holding means 22' to hold member 26 in this position.Since the holding means does'not have to move element 26 into position,a much smaller magnet may be used. As the cam 24 continues to rotate sothat the high point moves 1 80 degrees from the position shownin'FIG-URE lto the position shown in FIGURE Z, the element 30 is 'movedfrom its rest position abutting stop 44' to. the position for restoringthe marking member shown in FIGURE 2. During this operation thewedgemember 38 is held in position by the member 26 and the control rod35 so that there is no sliding motion between the wedge 38.. and controlelements 28, 3d. The angle of the wedge 38- and the end 48 of element 30are chosen sothat the wedgeis locked in place during this operationandis not squeezed out by the pressure of: member 2-8 as: it ismoved by therotation of cam 24. v 7

As shown in FIGURE 4,.the current to the winding 56 of holding means 22'is maintained until the high point of the cam again reaches the pointadjacent core member 54 as shown in FIGURE 1. At this point, a newdecision can be made for the next cycle of restore mechanism operationnot to rest-ore during this cycle, theoperation is as shown in the fullline of the second half of the diagram of FIG- URE 4. The rest-orevcycles-may have any desired timing relationship to the cycle formarking. :Forexample,in the case where a print drum is arranged-withalternate quadrants of alphabetic and numeric characters, the timing ofthe, restore mechanism may be chosen so that the marking members may berestored atthe'end of any of the. quadrants.

It can be seen that there is provided a mechanismf-or selectivelyactuating a restoremechanism for a marking machinewhich issubstantially. instantly operable once the decision is made to restore,and cont-rolof the restore mechanism is accomplished by a low currentcontrol pulse.

and,.if it is desired to restore the marking memher, the conditions areas shown dotted. in the latter. half of the. diagram of FIGURE 4.Whereas, if it is desired;

While the invention has been particularly shown and 7 described withreference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood bythose skilled in the art that various changes in the form and detailsmay be made therein without departing from the spirit and scopeof theinvention.

What is-claimed is:

1. -In a machine for marking a record, the combinationof: e r

a member movable to a record marking position and a restore position;rotating cam means;

- an actuating member for moving said movable member;

control means coupling said cam means and'said actu 'atingmember, saidcontrol means comprising first and second pivoted carn following membersmovable between a first and a second position and a wedge member coupledto said firstcam following member;

said wedge memberv being slid-ably interposedbetween said second camfollowing member-and saidactuating member in a motion transmittingposition when said first cam following memberis in said first positionand in an idlingposition when's'aid first cam following member is insaid second position; and I electromagnetic holding means forselectively holding saidfirst cam following member from following saidcam while in said first position so that said actuating member movessaid movable member to said restore position when said second camfollowing member is moved by saidcam means to its second position. 2.'In a. machine for marking areeord, the combination of: 1 a

a member movable to 'a record marking position and a restore position;rotating cam means; 7 an actuating member, for movingsaidmovable member;cont-r01 means toselectivelytransmit motion from the cam means tothemovable member to move the latter to said res-tore position, saidcontrol means comprising first and second pivoted cam following membersmovable between a first and a second position and a wedge member coupledto said first cam following member, said, wedge member beinginterposedbetween said second cam following member and'said movable member and.movable between a motlon transmit-ting position and an idling position;and

electromagnetic holding means, for selectively holding said firstcontrol member insaid first'position so that the wedge member is-held insaidmotion transmitting position and said movable member is actuated tosaid re'store'posit-i'on as saidsecond cam following member is-moved. tosaid second position by said ,camrneans. 3. 'In a machine. for'markinga. record,'the-'combination off a i a member movable to a recordmarking position and a restore position; rotating'cam means;actuatingmeans for movingsaid movable member; control means forselectively controlling said'actuating means, said control meanscomprising first and second cam following members" movable between afirst and a second position, said first cam following: member comprisinga cam' engaging portion and an extended portion; a wedge. member coupledto, said extended portion and interposed between said actuatingmeans andsaid, second cam engaging member, said wedge memberibeing movablebetween a motion transmitting position and an idling posit-ionwhen saidfirst cam-following memher is; in said first and said; second positionsrespectively; and electromagnetic holding means-for selectivelyretaining b said first cam; followingmember in said. 'fir-stpositionwherein said wedge member is positioned in said motion transmittingposition so that the movable member is moved, to the restore positionwhen th cam moves the second cam following'member to its secondposition. j

s 4., In a machine, for marking; a record, mechanism fo restoring amarking member comprising, in; combination: a member movable to a recordmarking position and a restore position; a rotating cam means;

' actuating means toselectively transmit motion-from the cam means tothe movable member to move the latter to said restore position, saidactuating means compris- Y tion, said wedge-shaped extension portionbeing interposed between-said actuating member and said second camfollowing member andmovable between a I motion transmitting position andan idling position when-said first cam following member is in said firstand said second positions respectively; and

said first camfollowing' member in said first position so that themovable member isactuated to said restore position as the cam is rotatedto move said -second cam following member to-said second position, SQJIn a machine for marking a record, a mechanism a rotating cam means; apivotally mounted cam-following member; arestore member; r v 'a bellcrank biased-toward contact with said cam means; electromagnetic holdingmeans mounted adjacent one armof said bellcrank; i wedge means attachedto the crank; said wedge means beingposit-ioned betweensaidpivotallvmounted cam following member and i electromagnetic holdingmeans for selectivelyholding other arm of said bell-- 5 said restoremember and movable between a restoring position when said bell crank isclosely adjacent said holding means and an idling position when saidbell crank is away from said holding means; and

means for selectively energizing said electromagnetic means when saidbell crank is closest thereto to hold said wedge member in saidrestoring position so that as the cam means rotates, said cam followingmember is moved to actuate said restore member to restoring position.

6. In a machine for marking a record, the combination of an actuatingmember movable to a predetermined position;

control means comprising a plurality of cam actuated members movablebetween a first and a second position;

a wedge member coupled to one of said control mem- WILLIAM B. PENN,Primary Examiner.

electromagnetic means to selectively hold said vone control member insaid first position so that said wedge member is positioned to move theactuating member to said predetermined position as the cam moves saidanother control member to said second position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/59 Bonner l0193X 8/62 Brown et al 101-409 X

1. IN A MACHINE FOR MARKING A RECORD, THE COMBINATION OF: A MEMBERMOVABLE TO A RECORD MARKING POSITION AND A RESTORE POSITION; ROTATINGCAM MEANS; AN ACTUATING MEMBER FOR MOVING SAID MOVABLE MEMBER; CONTROLMEANS COUPLING SAID CAM MEANS AND SAID ACTUATING MEMBER, SAID CONTROLMEANS COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND PIVOTED CAM FOLLOWING MEMBERS MOVABLEBETWEEN A FIRST AND SECOND POSITION AND A WEDGE MEMBER COUPLED TO SAIDFIRSTG CAM FOLLOWING MEMBER, SAID WEDGE MEMBER BEING SLIDABLY INTERPOSEDBETWEEN SAID SECOND CAM FOLLOWING MEMBER AND SAID